Massive increase in volume from more productive Heidelberg SM74-5

The installation of a Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 five colour press (SM74-5) has had an immediate impact on the quality and volume of work produced by Newcastle-based Greg Tapp Printing.


The company installed the SM74-5 to meet demand for increased quality with faster turnarounds and as managin director Greg Tapp (pictured on left with Michael Houston, printer and Rob Glover, production manager) explains, the customer response has been overwhelming.

“Demand for work before the installation was at such a level that we were running our old Heidelberg MO five colour press up to 100 hours a week. Since the installation of the SM74-5 our clients have been so impressed they’ve increased their orders. As a result we are still running 100 hours a week, but with our faster speeds this equates to a massive increase in the volume of work being produced.”

Greg Tapp Printing was established in 1978 by Greg and wife Pam. Today the Tapp’s, along with co-director, Rob Glover, employ 20 staff servicing the commercial sector with clients spanning real estate agents, hospitality services, advertising agencies and print brokers.

“We have always been asked to quote for jobs, but our average success would have been 3 out of 10,” says Tapp. “With our increase in quality and speed following the installation of the SM74-5 we have been able to double our conversion rate to 6 out of 10 with a significant growth in the amount of work being produced for the lucrative print broker sector.”

Tapp says that while some marketing has been undertaken to announce the new printer the growth in demand has primarily come from existing clients and word-of-mouth referrals.

“Our current clients, especially the agencies, have been so impressed with the results that they are directing more work our way. For this sector impeccable quality and the reliability to produce work in fast turn around times are the imperative.”

Tapp also praises the ability to use the SM74-5 to efficiently run both short and long run work due to the level of automation in the press.

“The automation features mean that we can quickly change jobs for short production runs without lengthy delays and can with equal ease, set the press to run high volume jobs.”

The SM74-5 is a high productivity press solution for the 54 x 74cm market with production speeds up to 15,000sph. Managed by the CP2000 control unit the press features many automation functions including the dampening system, inking system, blanket and impression cylinder wash and AutoPlate and AutoRegister.

Tapp says the automation features of the press also helped the company to attract a top-level operator. “The appeal of working on the latest technology and producing high quality work really made the employment process easy. We now have an extremely skilled operator working the press.”

In addition to running two shifts demand for work has reached such a level that Greg Tapp Printing has employed an extra staff member.

“Since we started we have seen seven printing businesses close in the Newcastle area. I would say that our success has been largely based on our ongoing commitment to reinvesting in the business and embracing the latest technology. As a result we have been able to grow our staff and become the second largest printer in Newcastle,” says Tapp.

“We have chosen the SM74-5 as it provides us with the level of technology we see as being essential for our continued success. We have been long-term Heidelberg customers and the standard of work we are able to produce on the equipment is securing our continued growth,” concludes Tapp.